Within the last few months I have decided No More Rugs in the house. They’re just one more thing to vacuum or wash. I still have a walk-off mat in the entryway and a small bath rug that hangs over the side of the tub and is only used when getting out of the shower. No more throw rugs, rugs next to the bed, rug or mat in front of the kitchen and bathroom sink, no mat outside in front of the door. With three dogs it’s too much extra vacuuming and washing.
I do meal prep every weekend. I make my husband an egg bake for his breakfasts and a soup, stew, hot dish(casserole), sloppy joes, or taco meat, etc. (just one of these not all!!) to eat throughout the week for suppers (dinners). I remember making a meal every night after work. I don’t know how I did it. We also had two kids to run around with for sports and activities at that time. Talk about being run ragged!
I only wash my hair every third day. My hair gets too dry now if I were to wash it every day.
I’m with you all on dressing comfortably, buying socks in batches, skipping ironing and even shaving in the shower. I don’t do the last one, because I don’t want razor stubble in my crotch, but I acknowledge that it’s more convenient and maybe even better (a closer shave). However, I could never eat the same thing every day (unless I had to, of course), and sheets should be washed much more often than once a year. That’s just gross.
I use just one kind of bar soap for showering, shaving and washing hands in the bathroom and in the kitchen.
I like having fresh parsley on hand in the kitchen and used to trim each stem to length and leave the bunch in a jar with just enough water. That would keep the parsley in good shape for four or five days. Now, I just wash whole bunches thoroughly, shake off most of the excess water, chop off all the stems in a single slice and chuck what’s left into a rectangular Tupperware container. Much easier and the parsley remains fresh and green for up to two weeks.
Now that we’re using cash less (pandemic), I’ll often leave my wallet at home and just carry a debit card when I shop for groceries.
Well sure, but there is only one Rocketeer uniform. Being a hero demands some sacrifices from you.
I don’t think I have any really weird ones. I generally wear tees or sleeveless tees depending on the weather. The same with whether I wear jeans, khakis or shorts. I rarely wear socks, and prefer to be barefoot whenever possible, tho it’s tough to do in NY. Vacation home or lake cabin is all barefoot all the time. I think blue is probably the lightest color I wear, everything else is either black, brown or grey.
(1) With the rising cost of gasoline and diesel I’ve started making an “in town errand list.” No trips (20 miles each way) allowed until I have four or more items. And that includes platelet and plasma donations.
(2) I’ve decided my property does not need to look like a golf course. Grassy areas have been allowed to revert back to a native state. Reduced my mowing time by 30%. Yay! Now I have to see if I can do the same for my few hedges. I hate trimming hedges.
I’m now wondering if he meant that he uses the same sheets for a year, washing them regularly and then just putting them right back on the bed so he doesn’t have to fold them. I sure hope this is the case. I can’t imagine what sheets used for an entire year without washing would smell like.
I think that “same sheets for a year” post is a joke for shock value. We have a bed in a spare room where a guest might sleep that’s only used a few times in a year that might have the sheets washed only 3 or 4 times in a year. But a bed slept on nightly, once a year has to be just a joke.
The clothes thing is funny. Right now I wear long underwear, insulated overalls, a turtleneck tee, heavy woolen sweater and insulated jacket, plus glove liners, heated gloves, neck gaiter, skull cap, wool watch cap, two pairs of socks and insulated boots. In summer I wear jeans, light hiking socks, rubber boots, long sleeve tee, hoodie. Those are my work clothes, and I have another winter and summer set of town clothes, and yet another winter and summer set of riding clothes. Most of the posters so far wear clothes that would only work for one season and one situation – summer farm clothes. I have so many friggin clothes, many of which I do not see for months at a time and then wear daily for months at a time.
What have I done to simplify? Well, I sold off my sheep, geese and ducks, and I don’t milk any more. Chores are real simple now, in comparison. Just the horse and her pony, the two ornamental goats and a small flock of hens. But my main simplifications are 1. I do not volunteer for anything whatsoever and 2. I never drive anywhere I don’t absolutely have to.
By the mid-2010s, I was as stressed as I could be: working three jobs (teaching classes, running the University Press, and administrating my department) while living in two houses (in NYC and in Florida), traveling by plane between them at least once per month. I gradually simplified: first by declining to run for re-election to my administrative position, then resigning from the Press, then by teaching different sections of the same course, then teaching that course exclusively online, then taking a retirement package that allowed me to teach a 3/4ths load, then a half-load, and then retiring entirely, which allowed me to sell my place in NYC and move to Florida completely, just in time for the pandemic. Now I live in shorts and a t-shirt, and get to work at my own pace on writing and painting projects that I love doing so much it’s barely like work (though I do put in six hours or so every day). Now I have to manufacture something like stress to motivate myself to do that work (rather than swim or watch TV or read all day long) but it’s nothing like real stress. I haven’t worn a suit or even long pants in months now, and I don’t know what I’ll do with my collection of 30 ties. Because of the pandemic, I’ve just looked at my winter parka and wondered if I’ll ever reason to put it on again. It sits in my front closet, a reminder of the stress of putting it on and facing a blizzard on my way to work. Seems like a bad dream now.